The WKU Biology department offers the Master of Science in Biology degree. Training
in Biology provides many opportunities in teaching, research, and public service and
provides excellent preparation for many other areas of basic and applied sciences.
Our graduate program offers students the option of a traditional thesis MS in Biology,
and also a non-thesis option that incorporates distance-learning that is designed
primarily for career-oriented students who are located off campus.

WKU Biology faculty have interests in a variety of areas that we classify broadly
as Biotechnology (and the associated area of Bioinformatics) and Biodiversity. Faculty
are members of one or more of the WKU Research Centers but most relevant to most faculty
are the Biotechnology, Bioinformatics and Biodiversity Centers. For a list of current faculty interests, please go to our faculty profiles pages. Our faculty are supported by research grants from federal (e.g., NSF, NIH,
USDA, USFW) and state sources as well as from non-governmental organizations. Graduate
students pursuing the thesis MS often write grant applications for funds to supplement
their research needs. Such funds come from internal sources such as The Graduate School
as well as numerous appropriate outside agencies, foundations, institutions and societies.
Students pursuing the non-thesis option (in person or online) conduct a project as
part of their degree requirement (Biology 516). Biology partners with the education
program to offer a MA in Education Biology. Our in-residence graduate students come
from all over globe, forming a dynamic group of future professionals in the biological
sciences. For a list of current and some of our past graduate students, go to the
Student Information, Research and Teaching page.